Combined recorder and reproducer



Feb. 4, 1936. R. F. MAL .LlNA 1 2,029,730

COMBINED RECORDER AND REPRODUCER Filed Feb. 15, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR R. E MALLf/VA ATTORNEY Feb. 4, 1936. R. F. MALLINA 2,029,730

COMBINED RECORDER AND REPRODUCE'R Filed Feb. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

AMI?

iNl/ENTOR R. E MALL/NA A TTORNEV Patented Feb. 4,1

comma]: aaconnna AND asraonucan Rudolph Little Neck, n. 1., alsignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York f Application February 15, 1933, Serial mcsessz 11 Claims. (c1. ire-100.1)

This invention relates to sound recorders and reproducers and particularly to combinations of fundamentally different types of sound storing devices, such as the disc and magnetized tape type.

6 In making ahigh quality disc record, such as is used for sound pictures, it is customary to record the sound on several machines, one of the records so produced being carefully preserved of the recordfor production purposes. The records played back are destroyed by the reproducing stylus and hence cannot be used for processing. To make these play-back records, however, the 15 same apparatus is used as for the record to be processed and this duplication of apparatus naturally increases the expense of producing a good sound record.

The object of this invention is to provide an 20 economical means for testing the quality of a record before it is processed without injuring the record by the testing.

In its preferred form this invention comprises a high quality recorder of the disc type adapted 25 to make a record which may be processed to form a more permanent record combinedwith a recorder of the telegraphone type'which furnishes the record testing means. Duplication of apparatus is avoided by using a single housing, a 30 common microphone, amplifying system receiver -and. driving mechanism. Novel meanshereinafter to be described for making either of the recorders effective exclusively are also provided. The sound may be recorded simultaneously on '35 both the disc and tape and then played back from the tape as often as necessary to ascertain the character of the recordedmatter after which the disc record if found satisfactory may be processed into a more permanent form. If desired,

40 the records can be made'on the telegraphone first, played back andsubsequently re-recorded on the I 55 which is rotated by means of spindle l2, vibration while the others are played back to test the fitness purposes of illustration comprises a resilient arm resilient arm 21.

absorbing means I3, reduction gear I4 and motor I5, the latter comprising the source of motive power for both recorders. In addition to the vibration absorbing means l3, the motor I5 is supported by two spiral springs l6 and II, the

former being vertical and positioned over the ,center of gravity of the supported mass and the latter being horizontal and formed into a foursided loop, each side being secured to a corresponding hook l8 of platform I9 to which the m motor I! is bolted. This motor; suspension is described at length in my copending application,

Serial No. 559,843, filedAugust 28, 1931 and the vibration absorbing means I3 is shown in detail in my copending application Serial No. 491,844,

' filed October 29, 1930.

A disc record 2|! is shown in place on the turntable It) and in operative relation thereto are shown a recorder 2| and 'a reproducer 22, each pivotally mounted for vertical movement on their respective supporting arms-23 and 24 which in turn are adapted 'to move horizontally by means of pivots 25 and 26,-respectively.

The drive for the disc recorder may be any suitable feed mechanism and the one selected for 21 rigidly secured to the recorder arm 23 through the pivot member and driven laterally by the 7 action of a spiral groove 28 on the bristles of a brush 29 which is secured to the free end of 30 The spiral groove is engraved on the underside of the turntable l0 and as the turntable is rotated, the wallsof the groove coact with the brush to move it laterally at a. rate determined by the pitch of the groove. Through the rigid connection to the recorder arm, the recorder is made to cut'a similarly pitched groove in the record blank.

This, with the exception ofithe' appropriate switches and electrical controls, comprises the 40 mechanical portion of the disc-recorder. The telegraphone apparatus comprises essentially polarizing magnet P, translating magnet T, a metal tape 30 and reels 3| and 32. The reels are driven from the spindle I! through pulley 33, a suitable rope drive 3! and the direction changing pulleys 35 and 36. The tape 30 is passed over guide pulleys that are concentric with the drive pulley and the direction changing pulleys, but arefree to rotate with respect thereto. To effect the object of this invention, means must be provided for eng ingthe telegraphone drive with or disengaging it from the turntable drive. In the' example shown, all of the means used for this purpose'comprise cone clutches 5s which are operable by a vertical motion of their respective supporting means. The main driving pulley 33 is free to move vertically on spindle l2 and is supported by freely rotating guide pulley 31 which in turn rests-upon a spider member 33, the arms of which ride upon cam surfaces 39.

These cam surfaces are merely inclined planes.

The spider member 38 is secured to an arm 40 32 becomes a driving reel and is positively driven from the rope drive 34 by lowering clutch 43 until the reel is contacted. This causes the reel to rotate in the same direction as spindle I2 and to pull the tape first through the polarizing magnet P and then through the translating magnet T. It is necessary, of course, that reel 3| be disengaged from the driving means when reel 32 is so engaged, and to insure this condition, a lever 44 fulorumed at 45 is supplied, the reel clutches being operated by the lever from opposite sides of the fulcrum. The lever 44 is operated byplunger 46. When the plunger is in its lowest position, the condition just described obtains.

When it is desired to rewind, reel 3| is made the driving reel and .it is accordingly driven positively by raising plunger 46 which through lever 44 engages clutch 41 with reel 3| and disengages clutch 43. The rope drive 34 is thus made eifective to drive the rewind reel 3|.

A protective cover 48 may be supplied for the telegraphonic apparatus and a larger casing 49 can be used to house the entire machine. The

, turntable I0 is removable and may be placed vertically in the casing 49 if the machine is to be portable. This, however, is not a part of the invention and the housing may take any other form which may seem more desirable.

This completes the description of the more important mechanical features of the machine.

The electrical connections to the machine and exterior apparatus are shown in the diagram of Fig. 3. It is understood, of course, that numerous switching arrangements are possible and that the diagram shown is merely illustrative of the preferred arrangement.

In detail, 60 is a microphone, preferably of the electromagnetic type, which is used to pick up the sound to be recorded. The sound controlled electrical currents so generated are strengthened in amplifier 6| and are then recorded either on the tape 30 by means of translating magnets T or on the blank disc 20 by means of the disc recorder 2|. After the currents are recorded, they may be reproduced from either of the records, strengthened again in amplifier 6| and converted into sound in the receiver 62. The switches are shown operated as follows:

To record, switch 63 is thrown upward thereby completing the circuit from the microphone 60 through the amplifier 6| and transformer 64 to switches 65 and 66. For tape recording, switch 66 remains opened and switch 65 is closed, thus sending the current through the coils 61 of the translating magnets T. For disc recording, switch 65 is opened and switch 66 is closed through its uppercontacts to send the current through the disc recorder 2|. For combined tape and disc recording, switch 65 is closed in addition to the last mentioned arrangement.

To reproduce on the telegraphone, switch 65 is closed, switch 63 is closed through its lower contacts, switch 66 is opened and switch 10 is closed through the receiver contacts. This completes a circuit from coil 61 through amplifier 6| to the receiver 62. Reproduction from the disc record is accomplished by closing switches 63 and 66 through the lower contacts of each, closing switch 10 again through its receiver contacts and opening switch 65. This substitutes reproducer 22 for the coils 61 of the telegraphone. To re-record from the tape to the disc, switch 65 is closed, switch 63 is closed through its lower contacts, switch 66 is opened and switch 10 is closed through the disc recorder contacts. This substitutes the disc recorder 2| for the receiver 62 in the telegraphone reproducing arrangement. Coils 68 are used for depolarizing and coils 69 for polarizing the magnetic tape 30 before it is used, in accordance with known practice as illustrated in detail in a copending application of C. N. Hickman et al., Serial No. 530,168, filed April 15, 1931, now Patent No. 2,003,968, June 4, 1935, or in the somewhat similar manner taught by S. M. Baruch in U. S. Patent No. 1,774,821, September 2, 1930.

To operate the machine the motor 5 is started. This rotates turntable Ill and it will be noted that the turntable rotates aslong as the motor is running irrespective of which recorder is used, its rotating mass supplying a very useful flywheel action to either driving system. With the turntable rotating, the disc recording and reproducing functions may be carried out, preceded, of course, by the appropriate switching operations as outlined above. For example, to record on disc, knob 4| is turned clockwise to its limiting position in slot to disengage the telegraphone driving apparatus from the main drive. The recorder 2| is swung over to and in contact with the edge of a record blank which was placed upon the turntable before the turntable was rotated and feed brush 29 is made to engage groove 28 to initiate the lateral feed motion of the recorder 2|. At the end of the recording, the recorder is raised and returned to a position which is clear of the record. This action causes feed brush 59 to sweep across groove 28 but no damage results to either the brush or groove because the bristles of the brush possess enough flexibility and the grooves enough rigidity to resist permanent deformation.

Reproduction from a disc record requires no additional mechanical manipulations and the machine may be used as any ordinary reproducing phonograph.

To record on or reproduce from the metallic tape, knob 4| is moved to its other limiting position'in slot 50 to connect the telegraphone apparatus to the driving mechanism. This, however, does not aifect any of the disc recording and reproducing functions and the latter may be carried on simultaneously with the telegraphonic functions. To record or reproduce, plunger 46 is depressed and to rewind the plunger is raised. These operations are also to be preceded by the appropriate switching operations. In the arrangement shown, the rewind operation is necessary before each reproduction since but one tape is used.

This combined recorder can be used in any sound studio where recording is done on soft discs which are to be processed into a more permanent form. Since the magnetic tape recorder is a high quality recorder, sounds may be recorded first on the tape, then reproduced from the tape to ascertain their character and subsequehtly, if found suitable, re-recorded on the disc recorder. By connecting the receiver into the re-recording circuit, it is possible to monitor the sounds being so recorded.

The uses and arrangements described above by no means exhaust the possibility of this inratus, unitary driving means, and selective means for associating the driving means with one or both types of said recording and reproducing apparatus.

3. In a driving means for telegraphonic recording and reproducing apparatus, a flywheel, means on the flywheel for supporting and driving a grooveless disc record blank, a disc recorder, and means also on said flywheel cooperating with the disc recorder to feed the recorder across the record blank.

4. Disc and. telegraphonic recording and reproducing apparatus, unitary driving means, and

means comprising a cone clutch for engaging the telegraphonic recording and reproducing apparatus with the driving means.

5. Disc phonograph apparatus comprising a recorder and -"a reproducer, telegraphonic apparatus comprising translating magnets polarizing and depolarizing magnets and associated energizing means, a common source of sound controlled electrical currents, a common amplifier, a common receiver, and switching means for effecting various combinations of said 'appara- I tus including a combined disc and telegraphonic recorder, and a telegraphonic reproducer.

6. In combination, electromechanical sound translating device and a disc record blank cooperating therewith, an electromagnetic translating device and a magnetizable body cooperating therewith, a common driving means for the record blank and magnetizable body comprising a source of power, a drive shaft, vibration absorbing means intermediate the drive shaft and source of power, a flywheel for still further absorbing vibrations, said flywheel being adapted to receive and rotate the record blank and to cooperate with the electromechanical sound translating device to feed the latter evenly across the blank, reels for the magnetizable body, and

selective starting means for the reels.

7. Disc recording apparatus including a recording stylus, telegraphonic reproducing apparatus, a common driving means, a common amplifier and switching means for operatively connecting together the disc recording apparatus, amplifier and telegraphonic reproducing apparatus whereby sound controlled electrical currents represented in the telegraphonic apparatus as variations in the magnetization of a body are regenerated and made to vibrate a recording stylus.

8. Apparatus, driving and switching means as claim '7, and means for monitoring the regenerated sound controlled electrical currents.

,9. Telegraphonic recording and reproducing apparatus, driving means therefor including a flywheel, a grooveless disc record blank, a recorder cooperating therewith and means on the flywheel cooperating with the disc recorder to drive the recorder across the record blank,

. 10. Disc recording and reproducing apparatus, telegraphonic recording and reproducing apparatus, unitary driving means and selective,

means for associating the driving means with either type of said recording and reproducing apparatus.

11.- Disc phonograph apparatus including a recorder, telegraphonic apparatus comprising translating magnets and energizing means therefor, a common source 01' sound controlled electrical currents, a common amplifier and switching means for eflectlng' various combinations of said apparatus including a combined disc and telegraphonic recorder.

- RUDOLPH F. MALL-INA. 

